What do Peyton Manning, LeBron
James, and Lionel Messi have in
common?
Second-place finishes. Manning’s
Broncos were crushed 43-8 in the
Super Bowl, the San Antonio Spurs
handily defeated Lebron James and the
Miami Heat in the NBA Finals, and
Argentina, led by Messi, lost 1-0 to
Germany in the World Cup Final.
Each athlete is also arguably the best
player on the planet at his sport.
Manning won the NFL MVP award last
year. James has won four of the past
six MVP trophies given by the NBA.
From 2009 to 2012 Lionel Messi was
voted the top soccer player in the
world, and FIFA named him as the best
performer of the 2014 World Cup.
But talent doesn’t win championships;
teams do. They are superior to
individual ability for a number of
reasons, many of which are brought to
light in the excellent book Jesus on
Leadership by C. Gene Wilkes and
Calvin Miller.
1) Teams simply bring more to the
table in terms of resources, effort,
and energy . Teams can draw on a rich
diversity of background experiences,
providing a wealth of knowledge
greater than the intelligence of any
single person.
2) Teams highlight a leader’s
abilities and hide her flaws. Working
alone, a leader’s weaknesses are
exposed and her strengths cannot
reach full expression. Stephen Covey
observes, “People and organizations
don’t grow much without delegation
and completed staff work, because
they are confined to the capacities of
the boss and reflect both [the leader’s]
personal strengths and weaknesses.”
3) Teams instill the value of
humility. In order to accomplish
anything of significance, we’re required
to work with others. By taking part in a
team effort, we learn how insufficient
our own talents are to accomplish a
vision. The truth is that we’re not going
to be successful unless a lot of other
people help us along the way.
4) Teams provide rewarding
relationships. The togetherness of a
team fosters authentic community.
Victories are far more rewarding when
they can be celebrated with people
whose company we enjoy.
Thought to Consider
Developing your talents and pursuing
personal growth can help you upgrade
your abilities. However, focusing on
your self-improvement, in isolation from
others, won’t take you to the top. If you
routinely place yourself first, then you’ll
seldom finish in first-place. Regardless
of your talent, you need to partner with
others to win championships. How can
you learn to be a better teammate—
rather than simply a more talented
performer?

Source: www.johnmaxwell.com/blog/whos-the-best-putting-talent-to-the-test?utm_source=WhatCounts